


Third Times a Pattern

by MomentarilySane



Category: James Bond (Craig movies), Skyfall (2012) - Fandom
Genre: Anniversary, Hurt/Comfort, James is quick to jump to assumptions, M/M, Q is rather oblivious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-19
Updated: 2015-06-19
Packaged: 2018-04-05 05:12:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4167225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MomentarilySane/pseuds/MomentarilySane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bond and Q overcome the odds and are actually in a happy relationship. Until their anniversary comes up and James is needed outside the country for a mission. Though he is upset about not being able to celebrate his relationship with Q, what bugs him more is Q's nonchalance about the whole thing. This prompts him to wonder if Q even cares about their relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Third Times a Pattern

The first time Bond was worried. It was his and Q’s first anniversary and he was being sent out on a mission. He knew Q was realistic and would probably understand, but that wouldn’t mean that he would be happy and it would add another tick against their already ill advised relationship. It couldn’t be avoided though so he pushed down his worry and made his way to Q’s office.

Q didn’t even look up from his computer when Bond entered. When they first started working together this often frustrated Bond, Q’s head almost always snapped up when someone entered his office. After weeks of sitting and observing Bond noticed that Q only didn’t look up for him, R, Eve and M. It took little more to realize that it was actually a trust thing, after which Bond felt honored. However, with the stress today, he wished that Q had dropped everything so he could get it over with. Bond settled into his chair beside Q’s desk. Well, it was Q’s chair, but no one else dared to sit in it since Bond had claimed it. 

“Q,” he sighed, his tone caught the younger mans attention, and Q’s head snapped up to look at him with worry. “I’m being sent to Greece for a three week mission. I’m sorry-” he paused in his apologies when he noticed that the worry disappeared from Q’s face and he waved a hand.

“Don’t be absurd Bond, of course I know that. You’re equipment is all ready,” Q nodded his head to the shelf to the left of his door.

“You’re not… I don’t know, upset?” Bond ventured, trying desperately to read any emotion from Q’s face. Perhaps this was a trap, or a test of his loyalties. 

“Why would I be upset at you for doing your job?”

“Are you telling me you forgot about our anniversary?”

“Of course I didn’t!” Q’s face scrunched up in confusion, as if Bond was the one who was acting strange. “If you really want to do something for our anniversary perhaps consider bringing home all your equipment intact,” Q quipped. 

“Hey, the last one wasn’t my fault! I ran out of bullets, perhaps you should consider modifying my gun to also act as a boomerang.”

Bond stayed in Q’s office until he had to leave to catch his flight. However, despite their easy conversation he still felt unsettled at how little Q seemed to care about him not being around for their anniversary. He worried that maybe Q just didn’t care that much about their relationship. 

When he returned a month later, there had been a couple complications and Bond spent a large period of time explaining to Q how each situation could have been avoided with a boomerang gun, Q took the day off to spend with Bond. He pushed his concerns to the back of his mind.

The second time Bond was upset. They had finally come out about their relationship so M knew exactly why, but when Bond tried to argue M responded that Bond was simply the only agent who could pull this mission off and that was the end of their conversation. He glared at everyone he passed on the way to Q’s office. There he found his young lover finishing up a few gadgets. Q threw him a smile as he entered and ushered him to a seat. “Here Bond I’m just finishing the final tweaks on your new watch!” he smile was practically glowing.

Momentarily forgetting what brought him to the office, he gave Q a smirk. “I’m getting a new watch?”

“Of course, you haven’t read your new mission brief yet have you?” Q rolled his eyes and muttered “Typical agent,” under his breath.

Bond expression hardened. “You know already?”

“Naturally, I had to know so I could put together the equipment you’ll need,” Q, focused on his work, didn’t notice the inquisitive narrowing of Bond’s eyes. 

“And you’re not upset at all?” Bond slowly asked, watching very closely for any reaction.

“Why would I be upset at you for doing your job?” Q seemed just as confused as last year, finally tearing his attention from the watch to look at Bond.

“Our anniversary?” Bond’s tone was more a question than a statement.

Something in Q’s expression clicked before he nodded and said “Oh, right, of course but it can’t be helped.” He walked around his desk to stand in front of Bond and presented the watch in an open palm. “Happy anniversary,” Q announced with a small smile.

Despite himself, Bond laughed. “That doesn’t count,” he insisted.

“Well, it will have to for now,” Q responded before giving Bond a chaste kiss on the lips. “Now off, you have a plane to catch.”

Bond tried not to let Q’s lack of care get to him, but it was hard. It ate at him for the duration of the mission. And then, just the same as last year, Q acted as if nothing had happened. He even picked Bond up at the airport and they spent the weekend held up in their flat ignoring calls from MI6. Bond didn’t forget this time, but eventually got over it. 

He kept reminding himself of something Q told him when he asked why he repeated experiments so many times, “Once is chance, twice is coincidence and third time is a pattern.”

So when the third time came, Bond was resigned, yet eager to conduct his final ‘experiment’. He made his way to Q-branch, finding Q in the middle of the branch directing 004 through a critical part of her mission. On reflection, this probably wasn’t the time to approach Q with this, but he had to be out of the country within a few hours so he pushed on. He went to Q’s side and called his name. Bond won’t admit how happy he was to see how quickly Q’s attention snapped to him. “I’m leaving on a mission,” he answered Q’s unspoken question.

“Of course, well as you can see, I am currently unavailable. I’m sure R has what you need,” he nodded in her vague direction before turning back to the screen.

“I figured she’d be handling it, but I wanted to apologize,” Bond pressed, causing Q to cast him a sideways glance.

“For?” he prompted, tone slightly more clipped than he intended.

“Our anniversary…” 

“Yes, right,” Q mumbled, typing something quickly into the computer. “Not to worry, it’s fine,” he shot Bond a quick smile before studying the screen once more.

“You’re not upset?” Bond pressed. He refused to acknowledge the hurt he felt at how Q huffed in frustration.

“Why would I be upset at you for doing your job?” Q demanded, fully turning to face him and gripping one of Bond’s hands in both of his, as if he was pleading for an answer.

Before Bond could answer 004’s voice came over the speaker “004 reporting to Q branch, I’m in the office and need access to the computer.” There was a pause while gunshots were heard over the speakers before she added “Now would be good!”

“I’m sorry James, I really don’t have time to deal with this right now,” he offered a sad smile, kissed the back of his hand and turned back to the screen. 

His typing resumed full force as he responded “I’m here Taylor, you should have access… now.”

Tearing his eyes from Q, Bond found R standing, rather impatiently, in front of him, a briefcase clutched in her hand. “Thank you,” he nodded, grabbing the case, and left without another glance at Q.

While on his mission he kept all contact with Q strictly professional. So when he returned Q was already tipped off that something was wrong. Information he discovered when he went to leave M’s office and was blocked by a rather peeved Eve. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” Bond raised an eyebrow in question.

“Q is waiting for you in his office,” she responded with a very sharp tone.

“Yes, well I regretfully don’t have any equipment for him,” Bond shrugged in apology.

“That’s not the nature of your meeting,” she alluded before sarcastically adding “Though very mature.” and returning to her desk.

Bond was sure he could get more information from her, but ultimately decided it wasn’t worth the effort when he could simply go to Q and find out himself. When he entered Q’s office Q was obviously waiting for him. MI6’s youngest Quartermaster was always busy with something. A mix of having a lot to do to keep the branch running, and a need to keep his mind busy. When Bond asked about the second reason he received a half told story about a brother who became a drug addict in an attempt to quiet his mind. The agent had only seen Q inactive twice before. Once when he first returned from the Skyfall incident, and the second time after Q’s brother committed suicide.

“I’ve been summoned,” Bond declared, taking a seat in the chair across from Q’s desk. That action caused a sad look to cross Q’s face. 

“What did I do?” the question was asked gently. 

“I feel like you don’t care about our relationship,” Bond responded in an equally direct fashion.

“What?!” Q’s voice was indignant.

“And I’ve concluded that I don’t want to be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t care about it as much as I do,” Bond continued, voice calm and factual.

“Jesus James!” Q jumped from his seat, leaning across his desk. “It’s unfair for you to base the future of our relationship on assumptions,” Q fought to keep his voice relaxed.

“Their not assumptions, their conclusions I’ve drawn from your actions,” Bond kept his voice impassive.

“What actions!” Q couldn’t stop from snapping the words.

“You don’t give two shits about our anniversary,” Bond gave in to his anger, also standing from his seat and gesturing sharply. “The one day for couples to celebrate their relationship, and you can’t be bothered to pay attention to it, or at least feign being upset that we never spend it together.”

“For fuck sake,” Q hissed, pushing away from his desk and pacing to the back wall. “You think that because I don’t care about one day I don’t care about us?” he stopped near the wall to snap at Bond. At this point, the farther he was from his agent the less likely he was to try and choke him for being stupid. 

“Well, you’re right,” Q continued after a moment of them glaring across the room. “I don’t care. Because it’s just a day. When I joined MI6 and I gave up my name I thought I had given up my life with it. I had resigned myself to a life of computers and solitude for Queen and country. Then I fell for you, a man famous for his womanizing ways and one night stands and I thought it was a cruel joke from the fates, giving me a life of solitude with an infatuation with a man who would never be able to return my affection. But then by some miracle you did and I’ve never experienced love like this before. So no, I’m not upset about not spending one very specific day with you when I get to spend so many other days with you, especially in the uncertainty of our line of work. But, if none of that matters to you and that one very specific day does, then continue being a dick and please leave.” By the end Q was breathing heavily, intent on keeping any tears in until Bond left the room.

“Q…” Bond began, eyes wide, before trailing off. He had quickly realized his error and was now concerned that he had made an irreparable mistake.

“Fuck off Bond,” Q snarled, rooted to his spot by the wall.

“Q, I didn’t realize.”

“Then you should have bloody asked.”

“How can I make it up to you?” Bond pleaded, both verbally and with his eyes. It was the plain and honest remorse in the agents eyes that melted Q’s icy persona. He sighed, shoulders drooping and went to collapse on the couch he had against the left wall. Bond quickly moved to sit by the young man, ignoring the stray tears that escaped Q’s eyes.

“I don’t know, did you bring back my equipment?” Q joked hollowly.

Bond sighed, dragging the smaller man into his lap and hugging him to his chest. “I’m serious.”

“This is a good start,” Q curled further into his chest. “But next time I do something to upset you, perhaps ask me about it instead of trying to terminate our relationship?”

“Of course,” Bond promised.

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for any errors, this hasn't been edited very closely. Kudos and comments are a great way to tell me if you enjoyed it! ;)


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